makezine.com: Make 25: Arduino Revolution

Volume 25: Microcontrollers and Arduino

Give your gadgets a brain! Previously out of reach for the do-it-yourselfer, the tiny computers called microcontrollers are now so cheap and easy to use that anyone can make their stuff smart. It's called "physical computing" -- with a microcontroller, your gadget can sense the environment, talk to the internet or other gadgets, and make things happen in the real world by controlling motors, lights, or any electronic device. The Arduino is an easy-to-use microcontroller board -- it's like an R&D lab on your kitchen table for prototyping any gadget. We show you how to make one, and how to use Arduinos and other microcontrollers to make an automatic yogurt maker, a vintage Skype telephone, a gumball machine that recognizes your secret knock, and more. Plus, make a Helicopter Rocket, portable solar power pack, gourmet Sous Vide food cooker, treadmill desk, and more fun DIY projects.

View a list of all links referenced in this volume

The Little Engine That Could by Dale Dougherty in Welcome
An Arduino board is cheap enough that you wouldn't feel bad breaking it, burning it up, or leaving it behind in a project. Page 10

The MakerShield by Dan Woods in In the Maker Shed
The ultimate open source prototyping shield for Arduino and Netduino microcontrollers. Page 11

Reader Input in Reader Input
Jailbreak catch-22, kids love robots, ladder logic, and space zillionaires. Page 12

The Art of Productive Procrastination by Saul Griffith in Making Trouble
Flip between two projects to prevent focus fatigue. Page 13

Maker's Calendar by William Gurstelle in Maker's Calendar
Our favorite events from around the world. Page 15

Untouched by Human Hands by Cory Doctorow in Make Free
Is there a boardroom somewhere trying to figure out how to make your next Happy Meal toy, laptop, or Ikea table look like it was handmade by a MAKE reader? Page 16

Toothpick Artistry by Bruce Stewart in Made on Earth
Using just small hand tools, enormous patience, and lots of toothpicks, Steven J. Backman creates amazingly intricate works of art. Page 18

Quickup Camper by Jon Kalish in Made on Earth
Jay Baldwin has designed and built a prototype for what he calls the Quickup Camper, a collapsible camper top that transforms a standard-sized pickup truck into a fuel-efficient, highly maneuverable recreational vehicle. Page 20

Invisible Sculpture by Thomas Walker Wilson in Made on Earth
Artist Michel de Broin affixed pieces of mirror to a rock, maintaining its contours, until the rock's surface was entirely covered in mirrors. Page 21

Tools of Artistry by Arwen O'Reilly Griffith in Made on Earth
Chris Bathgate's intricate sculptures showcase the perfection of metal and the nuts and bolts of machining. Page 22

Biker Laundry by Shawn Connally in Made on Earth
John Wells' Bike-O-Worsher works just like any washing machine - you pedal forward for the agitation and pedal backwards for the spin cycle. Page 23

Backyard in Motion by Laura Kiniry   in Made on Earth
Retired mechanical contractor Bill McHugh has spent more than 40 years creating fun kinetic sculptures that run on air, sun, water, birds, and most typically, squirrels. Page 24

Cinema with Sol by Jerry James Stone in Made on Earth
A tiny, solar-powered cinema is making its way across Europe, promising patrons an intimate movie-viewing experience and red-carpet treatment. Page 25

Capturing and Studying Airborne Dust, Smoke, and Spores by Forrest Mims III in Country Scientist
In this column we'll experiment with the simplest air samplers, those that rely on gravity or wind to deposit particles in the air onto adhesive tape or a bare microscope slide. Page 26

The Computer with 1,000 Faces by Gareth Branwyn in Tales from the Web
Here are a few cool Arduino projects of staggering diversity from Make: Online. Page 29

Code 72 by Lee D. Zlotoff in Maker
Meet the real-life MacGyvers who engineer life-or-death solutions while the clock ticks. Page 30

Things of Science by Bob Knetzger in Maker
Miniature monthly science surprises! Page 36

Urban Survival Button by Cy Tymony in 123
Prepare yourself by making a Sneaky Button Survival Kit, which contains practical items you can use to protect yourself in urban situations. Page 40

Getting Started with Microcontrollers by Tom Igoe
Choose the right controller for your project and your skill level. Page 42

Vintage VoIP by Andrew Lewis
Convert a classic 1930s telephone into a Skype phone. Page 46

Drag-n-Drop Arduino Programming by Ed Baafi
Modkit makes microcontrollers easy for kids and anyone else. Page 52

Yobot: Precision Fermentation by Chris Reilly
Build your own smart yogurt maker. Page 57

Primer: Make and Use an Arduino by Dale Wheat
Build and program a microcontroller clone with no soldering. Page 62

Get in the Game by Tom Igoe
Make all kinds of game controllers using an accelerometer or other sensors. Page 71

Micromania
Everything Arduino: Resources, kids and parts, cool projects and people.

Swinging in the Rain
iPhone LED Suit
The Uberhoop
Foiled Again!
40 Top Projects
Mega Claw Grabs a Prize
Flying Wi-Fi Sniffer
Blu Robotics Kits
A Shield for That
Retro Gaming Future
TickTack3
Say You Want A Revolution
A-Blocks
Simon Says Solder
Ethernet Power
MAKE's Essential Arduino Site
Crash Course
The Cheat Sheet
The 1-Minute Microcontroller Page 74

PET Bottle Purse by Zitta Schnitt in 123
Build a cool purse out of the bottoms of 2 PET bottles and a zipper. Page 80

$5 HeliRocket by Doug Desrochers 
Use toilet paper tubes, coat hangers, and rubber bands to build a high-flying model rocket that transforms into a helicopter midflight, then spins dramatically back down to Earth. Page 82

Secret Knock Gumball Machine by Steve Hoefer
Make a cute candy vending machine that only dispenses treats when you knock the secret rhythm on its front panel. Page 92

Sous Vide Immersion Cooker by Scott Heimendinger
I'm fascinated by sous vide cooking, in which foods vacuum-sealed in plastic are immersed in a precisely temperature-controlled hot water bath to achieve optimal doneness. Page 104

Holography by Frank DeFreitas in Skill Builder
Capture magical 3D images without a camera. Page 116

Your Own Honey Cow by Abe Connally in DIY: Outdoors
Make a simple beehive and enjoy the sweet fruits of your labor. Page 123

Making a Cage Trap by William Gurstelle in DIY: Outdoors
Catch pesky animals humanely with a homemade slammer. Page 126

Laser Pointer Printer by James Underwood, Leland Sindt in DIY: Imaging
A scanning laser "paints" on photo paper. Page 129

LED Paper Cutter Assist by Larry Cotton in DIY: Office
Modify an el-cheapo paper cutter to make it way more accurate. Page 133

Giant Spin Art by Pete Goldstein, Bob Goldstein in DIY: Toys
Spin canvases at high speed and drop paint on them. Page 136

Solar TV Remote by Sparkle Labs in DIY: Home
Juice your flipper with sunlight. Page 138

Faux Flames by William Gurstelle in DIY: Workshop
Make realistic fake fire, using fabric, a fan, and some LEDs. Page 140

Scrabble by Tom Parker in Make Money
Sometimes it costs more to buy it than to make it from the money itself. Page 143

Reverse Geocache Puzzle Box by Mikal Hart in Build Notes
This locked gift box guides recipients to the only place on Earth where it will open. Page 144

A Trippy Crystal Nightlight by Charles Platt in Electronics: Fun and Fundamentals
Create any color, using 3 LEDs and the trick of pulse-width modulation. Page 148

Zombie Attack! by Lee D. Zlotoff in MakeShift
Battle your way through brain-hungry zombies to arrive - bite free - to a secure school two miles away. Page 152

I made it. I can fix it. by Saul Griffith in Howtoons
The motto for the next generation of makers! Page 154

Toolbox in Toolbox
Build a village, clock your speed, wear sunglasses at night, craft a canoe, and geek out your garb. Page 156

Eureka! by Roy Doty in Eureka!
Use your maker skills to ensure that your reserved parking spot remains yours alone. Page 158

Amazing Maker Marble Maze by Bob Knetzger in Toy Inventor's Notebook
Page 164

Lick a 9-Volt Battery by Julie Spiegler, Gever Tulley in Dangerous Things
Taste electricity. Page 166

Carve Inscriptions in Stone by Tim Anderson in Heirloom Technology
Send a message to eternity. Page 168

The Chinese Windlass by William Gurstelle in Remaking History
British soldiers, encamped on the outskirts of Beijing after the war, took note of an ingenious device being used to raise and lower drawbridges. Page 170

My Own Visible Computer by Kevin Quiggle in Homebrew
For my most recent PC build, I wanted to show the working parts as much as possible. Page 176

MAKE: Amends Errata for this volume.

Where it appears	Primer: Make and Use an Arduino, Page 65
The error	The second paragraph on page 65 should read: "To connect the chip to power and ground, jumper [...] J-7 to right ground, and J-9 to right power (Figure G)." The print version had power and ground reversed for pins J-7 and J-9. Figure G is correct.

Where it appears	Secret Knock Gumball Machine, Page 95
The error	Secret-Knock Gumball Machine" (MAKE 25), on page 95, the part number listed for the clear plastic globe from 1000bulbs.com was incorrect and should have read #3202-08020.

Where it appears	Sous Vide Immersion Cooker, Page 107
The error	In Volume 25’s Sous Vide Immersion Cooker, page 107, we listed the wrong clear acrylic box from Amazon. The correct part number is #B000NE9VJE.

Where it appears	The Chinese Windlass, Page 171
The error	Volume 26's Make Amends incorrectly corrected the equation values in Volume 25's Remaking History. Aargh! The crank length (a radius) is 6" as originally stated, but the radius of the large barrel is 1.5". The value of the expression is therefore 96, not 48.

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